A Journey to Truth
by Jo Yonder
Summary: In my sequel to Frozen, Anna and Elsa will be up against a new challenge and begin to test the question: Do all stories end happily ever after?
1. Prologue

**Okay, so here's just a short prologue to the story! Hopefully I can get the next chapter up by the end or the beginning of next week! **

**Prologue**

Hans stood, clutching the old map in his trembling hand. A gust of cold air blew through the dense forest trees, swirling dead leaves around his boots. A raven crowed and swooped past his head, disappearing into the thick fog. Hans glanced down at the map and grinned grimly, before folding it up and stowing it away in his satchel.

The old stone castle standing before him finally came into view, half hidden by the moss and vines entangled around it. A rusted gate, with pointed spikes, stood firmly locked shut in front of the stone entrance. Beyond it he could see a stone pathway led to a giant wooden doorway with a soldier standing guard. Hans sneered and withdrew his sword. With a grunt he brought it down, quickly slicing through the old metal padlock. He sheathed his sword, silently cursing about how the weapon felt off balance since his old one lay in pieces somewhere at the bottom of Arendelle's port.

The guard in shiny metal armor posted before the huge doorway eyed him and spoke gruffly. "Name?"

"Sir Anders," Hans lied, not willing to reveal his true identity yet. "I'm here seeking help from Her Eminence."

The guard nodded and pushed open the great wooden doors to Hans' surprise. "Her Eminence has been expecting you."

He motioned with a gloved hand for him to enter. Hans hesitated. How did she know that he was coming? Was she really as powerful as he had heard? Hans pondered this for a moment before bowing curtly to the guard and striding in. The doors boomed shut behind him, leaving him to feel as if he had walked straight into a trap. He let no fear show through his face however, and strode towards the tall figure sitting in a large stone throne encrusted with jewels and carvings of languages he did not recognize. The vast empty hall echoed with his footsteps before he came to a stop before the throne and bowed down on one knee. "My Lady."

"I've been expecting you for quite some time now. Sir Anders it is? You lie well for a prince," The woman on the throne said, sneering. She twirled her silver hair around her fingers. "Unfortunately for you, I can see right through those lies…Prince Hans."

Hans stood up and looked straight into her black eyes. "How did you know I was coming?"

She chuckled and got up, her laughs bouncing off the hard walls. "A little bird told me."

She smoothed her velvet dress, running her long fingers over the soft fabric. "I don't suppose you came to seek the answer to that one question. That would be…dreary." With a flick of her wrist, a gust of air blew Hans' map out of the bag slung over his soldier. He tried to snatch it out of the air, but it danced just out of his reach. She smiled, baring pearly white teeth. "After all that effort of stealing this from your father and well, sneaking away, it would be a shame." She snapped her fingers and the edge of the paper caught fire.

"No!" Hans cried leaping for the map, missing as it flew directly into her outstretched hand. "I'll give you anything!"

"Honestly, dear. What's the big deal over this scrap of paper now that you already know how to get here?" She said, almost laughing at the sheer look of terror on his face. She watched as the paper incinerated, its ashes dropping into a pile on the stone floor, Hans' face dropping. "Besides, I don't want anything from you. You needed my help right? I'm giving it to you. What's so hard about a burning a useless map? It's a rather small price to pay, don't you think?"

"My Lady," He said, straightening out again, ignoring the ashes gently blowing onto his white uniform. "I need your help to-"

"Gah! I already know what you want. Just tell me whom you would like me deal with," She said, twirling a ring around her finger, a look of utter annoyance playing across her face.

"The wretched witch," Hans stated, unblinking. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"The little snow queen?" She said, a new look on her face as she turned away to face her throne.

"Yes, Queen Elsa," Hans repeated, his voice cracking. When she didn't respond, he spoke loudly, his voice ringing out in the empty hall. "Will you help me or not, My Lady?"

"Oh yes, I will help," She whirled around, grinning wickedly. "And I know exactly what I'm going to do."


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's the first official chapter, set to take place a little less than a year after Elsa froze the kingdom. **

"_Elsa!" Anna cried out joyously from across the hall, eyes bright with joy._

"_Anna!" Elsa cried back, smiling. "Oh, Anna!"_

_The two of them began sprinting down the room towards each other, skirts billowing out behind them, each of their arms outstretched to hug the other, before colliding in a warm embrace that they hadn't shared in years._

"_Oh, Anna! I love you so much!" Elsa said, tears of joy streaming down her face. She hugged her sister tighter, feeling the love between them strengthen with each second. "I'm so sorry about what happened…I don't think I could ever forgive myself…this is what I would have lost."_

"_What are you talking about?" Anna said, burrowing her face into Elsa's shoulder. "I'm right here. Everything's alright."_

"_I know…" Elsa choked. "I just…I don't know-"_

"_Elsa, don't worry. You're just a monster," Her sister said quietly into her ear, hate flowing through her voice. The temperature of the room suddenly dropped._

_Elsa immediately let go of Anna. "What?"_

"_You're a monster, Elsa," Anna replied, staring at her. "You almost killed me. You're a monster. Everyone knows that."_

_Elsa shook her head in disbelief. "No, I'm not a monster. Anna, I love you."_

_Anna frowned, pursing her lips. Elsa looked down and realized she was wearing the dress she wore to her coronation ceremony. The dress she wore the day she froze the kingdom. Anna blinked at her, tilting her head._

"_A monster." She frowned in disgust and turned to walk away._

"_No, wait! Anna!" Elsa grabbed her sister's thin wrist. She felt a jolt of energy shoot through her fingertips. Elsa immediately pulled back her hand, horrified. The skin on Anna's arm where Elsa had touched her began to turn blue, crystals of ice lacing over. Elsa gasped in utter mortification. "No!"_

_The ice began to crawl its way up Anna's arm, spreading across her torso, then to her neck and legs, turning it into a smooth blue crystal-like surface. Anna ignored it and stared at Elsa, her eyes burning with a deep loathing. "See this is what happens when people like you get in the way of everyone else."_

"_Anna!" Elsa shrieked, not knowing what to do. She stared in horror as the ice encased her only sister, her only love in life. The frost rolled up Anna's neck, covering her face._

_"You hurt and kill just because you can't control a silly curse," Anna said icily, almost hissing. "You destroy others just so you can survive."_

_"No! I didn't mean to!" Elsa said, trying to unfreeze Anna the way she had unfrozen the kingdom. The magic only spread faster across Anna's body. "No! I love you! I would never do this to anyone! I love you!"_

"_A monster…." Anna whispered, just as the ice froze completely over her, leaving a cold, gleaming blue statue._

_Elsa screamed._

Elsa jolted awake in the dark, gasping. She buried her face in her hands, telling herself that it was only a dream. _A dream that you've had for the millionth time._ She thought to herself miserably, blowing aside a loose bang in her face. She sat up and put her hands down on the soft bed, slowly inhaling. A gentle knock came at the door.

"Elsa?" She heard Anna's muffled voice quietly call from the hallway. "Elsa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Anna," Elsa replied back, trying to keep her voice steady. "You can come in if you want."

The door cracked open and a wide-eyed Anna poked her head in, searching for her sister in the darkness. She paused as she looked around the room and sighed sadly. "Oh Elsa..."

The entire room was covered in a thin sheet of white frost, streaking out from around Elsa in intricate spirals and designs of sparkling ice, covering shelves and pictures that hung on the walls. Tiny flowery snowflakes hung suspended in the air, motionless. Powdery snow lay like dust on the ground everywhere and only did Elsa realize how cold the room had become.

Anna gave a sympathetic look to Elsa and walked in, holding a small wax candle that sputtered in the cold. Anna shivered and wrapped her arms around her chest, her breath visible in front of her. Elsa, cringed, reminded of the sight of Anna encased in ice, one last cloudy breath blowing out from her lips.

"Sorry if I woke you up," Elsa said, freezing a little circle of ice on the thick sheets where her fingers touched. She looked down and retracted her arm, trembling. _You need to calm down._ She told herself. _Calm down and control it._

"Elsa, its fine," Anna said soothingly, placing the dim candle on a shelf and taking a seat at the edge of the bed. She gave a weak smile. "Isn't that what sisters are for, to help each other out in life during the toughest times?"

She reached out to touch Elsa's arm. Elsa immediately backed up.

"Please, just not now," Elsa said, looking down. "I don't want to…I can't…"

"It's fine, Elsa. It has been almost a year since that. You've already got it under control," Anna said, touching Elsa's shoulder gently. "See? Nothing's happening. It's all right."

Elsa didn't point out the numerous nights Elsa had woken up, finding herself locked in her own room as the door was frozen shut, just days after Elsa felt as if everything was finally under control. Instead she nodded and waved her hand, gathering up all the ice and snow in the room. It swirled together into a single point before bursting outward in a shower of sparkles that dissipated into the air.

"Thanks," she said, letting herself fall back onto the bed.

"No problem," Anna replied, getting up. "I'll let you sleep now."

She retrieved the candle from its spot on the shelf and padded out the room, silently closing the door.

* * *

Elsa lay back in her bed, thinking about the past. Later on she could not recall how or when, but her eyelids grew heavy as she fell into a deep sleep.

"Elsa! Anna! Sven!- I mean Kristoff! Hi!" Olaf hobbled into the throne hall, where the three of his friends sat chatting. "The celebration is tonight right?!"

Elsa and Kristoff grew silent. Anna smiled and looked down at him under his little snow flurry. "What celebration?"

Olaf laughed and waved his stick hand. "What celebration? Don't be funny, miss. Don't tell me no one's told you about the surprise birthday party for you…" he got quiet. "Ugh…"

Elsa looked down at the floor and Kristoff did a face palm. Anna blushed and looked over at them, not knowing what to say. "Hey, come on! It's still technically a surprise for me!" She said, grinning. She threw her arms around both of them and embraced them in a warm hug. "Thanks! I-I don't even know what to say!"

Kristoff chuckled and gave her a peck on her cheek. "You don't have to! The party was supposed to be your gift from me. Elsa was kind enough to let us host it in the castle, so you'll definitely be seeing some old friends."

Elsa let go and put her hand on her Anna's shoulder, taking in how happy she looked. How much she had recovered since she had…had…

Elsa couldn't bring herself to even think of it. The thought of her sister frozen over again brought chills to herself. She forced on a smile though. _As long as Anna's happy._ She thought, relaxing a bit. Elsa sank into the throne, and watched as Anna began a long excited talk with Kristoff, with Olaf happily watching on the side.

* * *

"Hey, Elsa!" Anna called out to her sister from behind the closed door. "Can you come in here and tell me how I look in this dress? I don't want Kristoff to see what I'm wearing to the party yet!"

"Umm..sure?" Elsa replied, gently opening the door and slipping inside. "I'm positive, Anna, you'll look...oh wow."

Elsa blinked in surprise. Anna stood in a long, deep magenta dress, which flowed around her legs in a rippling effect. The top sparkled with little swirls of gems, like snow being blown gently in the wind, and she wore a small silver pendant that dangled a small diamond.

Anna twirled, looking down as the skirt caught the air and rippled around. "How does it look?"

Elsa suddenly felt embarrassed of her own appearance and glanced down at her own dress, the dress she wore to her coronation ceremony. "You look...gorgeous. Like...more beautiful than anyone I've ever seen."

Anna rolled her eyes and lifted the corners of her mouth. "Aww...you don't have to just say that because I'm your sister...well, I mean, you should cause I'm your _sister_, but you shouldn't because I want the truth, even though I might not like the truth...hmm...you know what? Just tell me what you think? I'm just-just confusing myself." Anna giggled. "Yup, just tell me what you think."

Elsa put her fingers to her chin and slowly walked around Anna, examining her. "It's perfect except for one thing." She flicked her wrist and and streak of ice jumped off her fingers and formed a small tiara on Anna's head, which twinkled in the light.

"Oh my Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, walking up to the mirror to get a closer look at the intricate loops and corners. "You didn't have to! It's too pretty!"

"Well, it's my gift from me to you," Elsa said, sitting down on the bed. She looked around. "So you ready for the party?"

Anna laughed and turned to face her, placing her hands on her hips. "Ready? Of course I am!" She saw Elsa about to say something else but cut her off. "And yes, I know the procedures for the _grand_ opening."

She walked to the corner of the room, gently nudging away a book she had been reading the previous night with her foot, and stood to face Elsa. She lifted her chin and placed her arms at her side.

"As you all know," Anna said, imitating Kristoff's voice as best as she could. "Today, is a very special day. And we've all, in the kingdom, have come to know her as our lovable princess. Her bravery and her kindness are only a couple of the great virtues she possesses. But her greatest, is the true love and heart she and her sister Elsa share with each other." Anna cleared her throat, letting out a little cough. She put her hand to her chest. "Wow, Kristoff's voice is harder to do that you think."

Elsa laughed. "Of course it is. By the way, how do you know what Kristoff was supposed to say?"

Anna shrugged, a wry smile on her voice. "Well, he's been reciting it to himself for the past couple weeks. I mean, I knew it was about _me_, but I didn't know what it was for. Maybe some little speech because he felt like it, well, I wasn't exactly sure."

Elsa smiled sheepishly and put her head in her hands. "Well, I guess it isn't a big surprise anymore."

"Hey, come on! It's going to be great anyway!" Anna tilted her head, her cheeks blushing. "You guys are the _best_."

Elsa looked around at the room and noticed one of Anna's shoes sticking out from under the bed. She went over to retrieve it and gave it to her sister. "Don't forget this."

"Oh thank you!" Anna said, slipping it onto her foot. "I was wondering where that went! Wow, I need to be a little more organized..."

Elsa laughed. "You're fine. This party is going to be perfect. Nothing can possibly go wrong."

* * *

Outside the castle walls, crouched behind the trees in the forest sat five soldiers in black armor and a prince, looking in on the arriving guests for the celebration.

"Remember the plan," Hans said looking to his men, a wicked grin on his face. "Nothing can go wrong."


End file.
